


please don't leave me

by dreamersball



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:22:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25499794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamersball/pseuds/dreamersball
Summary: a collection of Azula/Ty Lee moments set to Pink's song, "please don't leave me". feel free to listen.
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 113





	please don't leave me

**Author's Note:**

> song drabble, popped in my head as such an azula song. i don't own anything!

_ _______________________________ _

_ But baby I don't mean it _

_ (I mean it, I promise) _

_ ______________________________ _

_ Azula is seven, and she just sat down for the first time for lunch at her school; The Royal Fire Nation Academy for girls.  _

_ She was seated alone. It was fine by her. She didn’t want to associate herself with these low lives. Sure they might hold monetary value, but they had no value to her. That’s what her father said. Father was always right. He had to be.  _

_ Azula shifted slightly to fix her shirt, so it would cover the bruise by her throat. As she did, a flash of pink sat down in front of her. A tiny girl with a brown braid, and big grey eyes. The girl was clad in pink, and radiated joy. _

_ Azula didn’t hate it. But she hated the intrusion.  _

_ “Just what do you think you’re doing?” She spat as coldly as she could.  _

_ The girl cocked her head, hurt flashing across her grey eyes. Azula flinched slightly, feeling exposed by the deep, analyzing grey eyes of the strange girl. She instantly felt remorse for the quick display of brashness she exuded. Her father would be proud of shaming a commoner. Her mother would not.  _

_ She didn’t want to disappoint her father, but she hated how she hurt this girl. She didn’t mean to.  _

_ The girl in pink spoke softly. “Are you hurt? I can sense that you’re not content or healed. Your aura is very dull and grey,”. _

_ It was Azula’s turn to be confused. “My Aura? What in Agni is that?” _

_ The girl grinned, suddenly bouncing with excitement. “It’s your feelings and your energy exuding out of you, silly! Mine is a light pink, but it’ll be brighter one day!”. She frowned suddenly, but just as quickly as it came a smile replaced it. “I know how to help you. Give me your wrist”. _

_ Azula crossed her arms tightly, glaring slightly. “What are you going to do to me? I am a fire bender, you know,”. _

_ The girl grinned. “I know. I’m just helping fix your aura,”. The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink ribbon. She held out her hand, silently asking for Azula’s wrist. Aula sighed, and gave the girl her left wrist. The girl tried the ribbon around it gently, smiling the whole time. _

_ “It’s a ribbon..?” _

_ The girl giggled. “Of course it’s a ribbon. The pink will help you lighten up! It’s the color of calm, you know,”. The girl cocked her head. “Interesting”. _

_ Azula blushed, feeling embarrassed, and once again, bare. “What? Did I do something wrong?”. _

_ The girl laughed again. “Of course not. Your aura is a pale gold. The bracelet is working. I’m Ty Lee by the way, want to be friends?”. _

_ Azula stared at her, mouth agape, blush still prominent. _

_ “I-uh.. yes. You can be my friend.” _

_ Ty Lee squealed and clap her hands. “Yay! Promise?” _

_ Azula didn’t make promises. Her father said they were a sign of weakness.  _

_ She said yes anyways.  _

_ She meant it.  _

  
  


**______________________________________________________ **

_ What is it with you that makes me act like this? _

_ (I've never been this nasty) _

**______________________________________________________ **

_ Azula is ten, and she had just shoved Ty lee into the pond where the turtle-ducks gathered. _

_ She doesn’t know quite why she shoved the girl into the pool. Seeing her do all those flips so effortlessly- arose some sort of anger in Azula’s chest.  _

_ It wasn’t her usual anger, though. Azula’s typical simmered and bubbled until she released it with a crude comment or some sort of flame. But this anger rested in her heart, and it made her feel.. oddly light. The way Ty lee floated through the air made the princess feel all sorts of things.. none of them the way a girl should feel about her friend. She had to extinguish the joy and talent the acrobat displayed. _

_ Naturally, as soon as Ty Lee hit the ground in a neat finish, smiling wide, Azula shoved her down.  _

**_There. Who’s smiling now?_ **

_ But the feeling didn’t loosen up like it normally does when Azula lashes out. Instead, it twisted in her chest, especially when the pink clad girl looked up at her; big sad grey eyes, and drenched in water. _

_ Azula wanted to push her down again, say something mean. Ruin the girl even more. She fiddled with the pink ribbon, trying to be clever and crude.  _

_ Instead, she held out her hand and helped her friend up.  _

_ It was hard to get rid of the weight in her chest, as she comforted the soaking wet girl who was crying gently on her shoulder.  _

_ The princess didn’t know why she shoved her in the pool. Or why she was comforting the girl now.  _

_ It was all so confusing.  _

  
  


_ _________________________________________ _

_ I can be so mean when I wanna be  _

_ (I am capable of really anything) _

_ __________________________________________ _

_ Azula is thirteen, and she has found the Avatar’s sky bison. Appo, or whatever it’s called.  _

_ Unfortunately, she hadn’t found the Avatar, and instead she had found the green-clad Kyoshi warriors in the Avatar’s place. She didn’t have time for silly battles over a giant beast, they were quite below her position of royalty. But, her intuition told her that perhaps she could extract the Avatar’s whereabouts. And that a fight found is a fight meant to be.  _

_ The fight was going quite well for her, Lo and Li would be content with her work. Perhaps her father would give her a nod as well. She had cornered the bison with her flames, and Ty Lee and Mai were holding their own. She was confident, and quite literally on fire.  _

_ She cornered the final standing warrior, the leader. Suki. She had affiliations with the Avatar through the water tribe peasants; and since the warrior pushed the bison to leave, it was Azula’s best interest to take her alive.  _

_ Up until the warrior mouthed off, of course.  _

_ “Finally. I was afraid this battle would be too easy. You girls should invest in some sort of bending, the fans are tacky and flimsy” Azula spat out, kicking a broken fan at the girl. _

_ The warrior’s eyes flashed with anger, her dreadful makeup only making her look more like a clown. “Hello Princess. I’ve heard about you and your little girlfriend. Oh and Mai of course.”  _

_ Azula felt anger like no other course through her veins, electricity spiking out of her fingertips. The warrior followed her hands, a grin slowly spreading across her white-painted face. “I guess I hit a soft-spot, didn’t I? I didn’t know you had one, Princess,”. _

_ Azula jumped, flames propelling her to the warrior. The warriors sparred back, protecting herself with her shield and pushing back. Azula couldn’t see anything but blue flames. Her hearing was blocked off. Everything was warm, so very warm. _

_ All she saw were blue flames. _

_ Until a flash of pink jumped in her view, and shoved her down.  _

_ “Azula, STOP! What are you doing?” Ty lee cried out. The acrobat pushed Azula back, hugging her in a way. “Please stop. She’s down. Mai’s pinned her down. Please stop firing,”. _

_ Slowly Azula’s vision wasn’t blue anymore. She breathed hard, trying to ground herself. She finally saw the trees around them burn orange, and the green clad warrior pinned to the ground by knives. The warrior had burns, and her robes were torn. Around the warrior was her own warriors, all pinned down and tied up. Mai stood over them, cool concern on her face.  _

_ Azula stumbled back, Ty Lee still attached to her. She had done the destruction. She had reacted out of.. fear? She knew she was going to kill that leader girl. She knew she was capable of it. She was going to murder that girl because of what she said.  _

_ And that terrified Azula to her core.  _

_ Ty Lee seemed to sense Azula’s panic, and she very gently whispered, “Let it go. They lost. Y _ **_ou beat them. You won_ ** _ ”. _

_ Azula pushed the girl off her trying not to look at Ty Lee’s grey eyes, filled with concern and sadness. She instead made eye contact with the Kyoshi leader, who smirked at her and shook her head side to side. _

_ Sparks arose at Azula’s fingertips.  _

_ “Tell the guards to send them all the Boiling Rock. I don’t want the leader to see daylight,” She spat out.  _

_ She turned around quickly, and briskly walked back to their lizard-walkers.  _

_ She tried to avoid the feeling of shame and embarrassment gnawing at her stomach, and avoid feeling the concern radiating off Ty Lee.  _

_ What was wrong with her? _

  
  


_ __________________________________________ _

_ I'm always saying how I don't need you. _

_ (It's gonna come right back to this.) _

_ __________________________________________ _

_ Azula is fourteen, and her best friend just betrayed her.  _

_ Not only that, but she chi-blocked her before doing it. Ty Lee promised to never chi-block her, because the girl knew how afraid Azula was of losing control. She knew Azula needed to be in control at all times.  _

_ And she broke that promise. She broke the friendship. _

_ She broke Azula’s heart. _

_ But that didn’t matter. They were being locked up. Azula was going to be firelord. She was home, she was a hero. She was about to reign destruction with her father and bring home victory and honor to her loyal nation.  _

_ They never betrayed her. Her nation loved her. Looked up to her. Needed her. Praised her. _

_ So why did Azula feel so empty? _

_ She was in her room, brushing her hair. She was fine. Though her servants tried to choke her, and her Dai Li soldiers and fire bending teachers betrayed her, she still had control.  _

_ She was going to be firelord. She was about to have all the control she could ever want.  _

_ She stared into the mirror, at those golden eyes she always saw. But that’s not what she only saw.  _

_ Ty Lee was behind her. Smiling. But it didn’t reach her wonderful grey eyes. _

_ Azula was shaking with rage, unable to speak. She loathed how she saw the tears well up in her eyes. How her bottom lip trembled. How her fingers curled tighter around her hairbrush.  _

_ “How dare you. You promised,” She pushed out through clenched teeth.  _

_ Ty Lee only looked back at her, eyes somber. The girl reached out to touch Azula’s chin, gently. Azula melted to the touch, leaning in.  _

_ “I’m sorry. But you needed to be stopped. This isn’t you Azula. Please stop.”  _

_ Azula jerked back, as if she was burned with hot flames.  _

_ She was full on crying now. She pointed at the acrobat with her hairbrush- and started yelling.  _

_ “No Ty Lee. This is me. You know who I am. I never needed you. You needed me. Why did you do that? Why did you leave me?”. _

_ She took a watery gasp in, and smiled cruelly. “You know what, it was probably for the best. I don’t need you, I don’t need Mai. I am about to be firelord. It’s all I ever wanted.” _

_ Ty lee shook her head swiftly. “Is it, ‘Zula?” _

_ Azula gasped, chin wobbling. She fell to her knees. “You said you would never leave me”. _

_ “I know”. _

_ “So why did YOU!” Azula screamed, throwing the hairbrush at the mirror. It shattered, pieces raining over the princess. Ty Lee was no longer in her sight.  _

_ Azula spent the rest of the night burning up her room, her memories, her artifacts. _

_ She never burned the pink ribbon tied to her wrist.  _

_ (She would eventually accidentally burn it in the final Agni Kai) _

  
  


_ __________________________________ _

_ I can cut you into pieces _

_ (when my heart is, broken) _

_ __________________________________ _

_ Azula is fifteen, and it is the anniversary of her first year in the asylum.  _

_ She hadn’t really remembered much of it. She was severely drugged (or manic as they whispered) and of course, in a straitjacket. Not a lot of memories coming from that. _

_ But now that she is consistently lucid, she understands more things now. _

_ Zuko is Firelord, and he’s repairing the nations through a harmony-restoration pact with the Avatar. He apparently is doing really well. Or so she’s heard. Mai is still his girlfriend, and she’s the most emotionally closed-off Fire Lady in history. But still the kindest. _

_ Zuko unfortunately works closely with those damned Kyoshi Warriors,and the Avatar team. Sad. _

_ And finally, Ty Lee is sitting right in front of her. Behind the bars, of course. But still. She was here. Ty Lee. Killer Acrobat turned Warrior clown.  _

_ In fact, she apparently has been visiting long before Azula “woke up”. Apparently Azula hadn’t said anything to the girl, becoming mute for weeks at a time. She wishes that she was still manic, still able to be mute.  _

_ The numbness is preferably over the red-hot heartache.  _

_ She glared at the girl in front of her, the ridiculous looking girl. She hated how well green complemented Ty Lee’s eyes.  _

_ She hated the girl. She hated how the girl made her feel. She hated the laughs, the quiet hours, the adventures, the hopes she shared with the girl. Every good memory Azula had was tainted by Ty Lee in some way. This girl was in her veins, in her heart, choking her flames from burning. _

_ The first few minutes of their meeting was spent by Azula, who spat every single insult she could at the girl. She ridiculed her hair, her clothes, her makeup, her new job. _

_ Ty Lee didn’t budge. _

_ The next half hour was spent by Azula pacing, recounting their stories, purging herself of her anger and heartache. Azula told Ty Lee she hated her, she wished that she killed the girl, that she should’ve never asked the girl to come along. Azula swore up and down how much she hated her, how she ruined her plans, her life.  _

_ Ty lee didn’t shift, but tears fell down her face. Azula could barely look at her.  _

_ Azula was good at burning things down. Trees, ribbons, bridges- she was so good at burning things up.  _

_ She was so exhausted. All she felt was pain. She fell to her knees, head down, hands kneading the hard concrete floor. She could feel Ty Lee suddenly shift, no doubt staring at the broken princess; waiting with a bated breath at what to do next. _

_ Tears of anger and shame streamed down Azula's face, softly hitting the floor. She knew what she had to do, and it was tearing her apart. She had to stop killing Ty Lee, it was killing Azula just the same. Though she couldn’t bend, the flames had to stop consuming her. _

_ She let out one shuddering breath, and exhaled.  _

_ “I need you.” _

_ “I know”, Ty Lee softly said. _

_ “I’m sorry”. _

_ “I know”. _

_ Azula looked up, and slowly put her hand out. She saw Ty Lee look at her oddly, head tilted. _

_ The grey eyes flashed with recognition, and Ty Lee reached into her pocket for something. _

_ A green ribbon was pulled out, and like that fateful day when they were eight, the acrobat tied the ribbon again, sealing their fate. _

_ “Green is the color of life and renewal. I hope your aura glows bright once again,”.  _

_ Azula looked at her, tears trickling down her face. She was at a crossroads again; her father would tell her to forfeit friendship for power.  _

_ She was tired of him, of the flames, the constant battle in her aching heart. _

_ “Promise me you’ll be here?” _

_ The grey eye girl nodded. _

_ “I promise.” _

  
  


**___________________________________ **

_ Please don't leave me _

_ (Baby, please don't leave me) _

_ _________________________________ _

Azula is twenty-three. She had just slipped under the covers to go to sleep.

Ty Lee is already asleep, twisted in the covers. She was never a calm sleeper.

Azula looked at her, taking in the acrobats fluttering eyelashes and smooth lips she has kissed over and over. She reached out and rubbed the green ribbon tied to Ty Lee’s wrist; the same as her own. 

The pair were still changing, for the better now. The last few years were not easy. There were more bridges to burn than to build; they had to break down memories before they could build new ones together.

But Ty Lee had stayed. And Azula had stopped burning down things. Their trees were growing, the ribbons were frayed and worn, and they were falling into each other each day. 

Azula learned to tell Ty Lee how beautiful she really was, and Ty Lee stayed with her when the flames of war wracked the princess’ body.

They were trying, they were clumsy, but they stayed.

They promised, after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! listen to folklore :)


End file.
